Amid the Falling Snow
by Eloradenin of the Wolves
Summary: "Who are you?" she slurred groggily blinking at him through bleary eyes. "Amu you don't remember me?" She blinked again and shook her head. "No what kind of name is Amu for a boy?" It was his turn to blink "Amu is your name." "Is it?" Amuto fic
1. Chapter 1

**Amid the Falling Snow**

*Prologue*

_Memories drift across your mind as soft as falling snow._

_Only staying long enough until the wind doth blow._

_Away they go across the landscape of your weary mind,_

_And barely can you catch a glimpse of the ones you left behind._

*Chapter 1*

Of all the places Amu had been in her 16 years, France had been one of her favorites. At least it was definitely a close second after her summer in the Antarctic at age 12 and it barely passed the month on New Zealand at age 7. But it was her 10th winter in France that always returned to her mind when she looked out and saw petals, leaves, snow, you name it, floating past her window. France had started off being just any other city her mother had been asked to write in depth articles on.

Her mother worked for a world famous magazine company that circulated in nearly every nation and her mother was one of their best article authors. Her father also worked for the company as a photographer. For this reason they were sent on long full paid trips all around the world. Since she was 3 years old Amu had never stayed in one area longer than a season lasted. Even when her mother had another daughter to care for. Amu's little sister Ami was only 7 years old but she was her parents pride and joy with her lovely little singing voice and bouncy personality. Amu sometimes found her antics a little hard to deal with but for the most part she tried to be a good big sister. Amu had especially found it difficult to be a big sister in France. Ami was just 1 year old and cried whenever anything was the least bit wrong. Naturally this caused her parents to fuss over her almost constantly even if it sometimes meant they didn't get any work done that day. Most of time, this also meant that Amu was neglected. She tried to pretend that she didn't mind and smiled when her parents deemed to praise her for being a good big sister.

Still she often slipped out of the apartment when her parents weren't paying any attention and went walking through the streets nearby. She was generally careful about coming back after an hour but one particular day she was feeling particularly lonely and just shuffled along not really caring where she was going. When she next looked up it was to see a darkening sky. Immediately Amu had turned around to head home until she realized that she had no idea where home was. Every street looked both familiar and unfamiliar in the gathering twilight which cast shadows over the small square she found herself in. Instantly the panic set in and she began running a ways down each street trying to find something she recognized, but each time she turned around and ran back to the square.

The twilight was thickening and lamps were springing to life when she finally gave up and sat down on the ground next to the fountain in the middle of the square. She pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them and started to cry. A cold wind was blowing causing her to shiver and pull her thin sweater tighter while she sniffled and hiccupped from the tears.

When the first flakes of powdery snow began to fall Amu was curled up so tight in a ball that she almost didn't feel it settling in her hair. She glanced up and blew out a misty breath into the cold night air. That's when she had heard it. The light melody of Oh Holy Night mixing with the snow flakes in the air all around the square. She had managed to force her stiff body to uncurl itself so she could stand up and look for the source of the melody. It sounded like nothing she had ever heard before and she had heard plenty of music in her travels. The sound was sweet and lilting like a flute but with the same slight twang as a guitar. Was there such a thing as a stringed flute? Amu hadn't thought so but still the idea hadn't sounded utterly ridiculous. But whatever the music had been she had been determined to find it's source and it was her search that had lead her to him.

He was standing on the other side of the fountain with a foreign instrument tucked under his chin. He held it with one hand firmly but delicately on a neck like a guitar with his fingers pressing down on the strings in different patterns. His other hand was moving a long stick smoothly across the strings in a fluid back and forth motion. The sound that emitted from the instrument was the same that Amu had followed and she just stood there in awe watching his hands move and listening to the sweet sounds circling around her.

She had to have stood there for at least a minute while he finished the song till at last he opened his eyes and noticed her for the first time. His eyes went wide in surprise and he dropped the hand holding the instrument down to his side while he pointed the stick at her with the other.

"What is a kid like you doing out here after dark?"

Amu snapped out of her trance the music had created.

"You…you're a kid too. What are you doing out here?" she asked stupidly folding her arms across her chest.

The boy grinned.

"I'm 13. My father lets me go outside when I want, now that I'm no longer a kid."

Amu was slightly surprised at that. She let her hands drop to her sides and her eyes grew larger.

"Really? My daddy says I can't be out after dark without an adult until I'm 18."

He had laughed at that clutching his stomach slightly.

"If that's the case then good luck ever having a boyfriend."

Amu squeaked.

"B…boy friend? I don't want a boyfriend!"

"Ever?" the boy asked with a smirk.

"Well maybe someday." She said quietly, "I mean I would like to know what it's like I guess. Someday."

The boy had been slowly inching closer to her without her realizing it so she was utterly surprised when he gripped her chin and forced her to look into his midnight blue eyes.

"How about now? You're cute so I'll be your boyfriend."

Amu's moth was wide open and all she could manage to get out was little gasps of "ah…uh"

The boy laughed and let go of her chin.

"Well that's settled then. I'll start by walking you home like a proper boyfriend would."

He walked back over to the case lying on the ground and gently lay the instrument within it. He placed the stick beside it and closed the lid before lifting the strap over his head and shoulder to let it rest on his back. Then he came back over to where Amu was still standing with her mouth agape and no coherent words coming out. He grinned at her and grasped her hand in his. Like his voice had done previously, the action snapped her out of her stupor enough for her to close her mouth and give him a suspicious stare.

"Why do you want to be my…boyfriend?"

The boy looked at her for a few seconds before smiling mischievously,

"Like I said you're cute. Plus I'm curious to find out more about you."

Amu didn't know how to respond so she just nodded.

He grinned at her again.

"By the way the first thing I'm curious about is your name."

She hesitated a moment before answering.

"Amu. Amu Hinamori."

"Ikuto." He replied still grinning, "Ikuto Tsukiomi."

It had only taken them 15 minutes to find her apartment, which was partially because a large squadron of Policemen were standing out on her street trying to calm down her hysterical parents. Who only got more hysterical at the sight of her in the company of an "older boy". Ikuto politely and calmly had to explain the situation to both of them at least 5 times before they at last calmed down and thanked him for bringing their wayward daughter home. He was even invited in for some hot coco, as the snow had picked up considerably and the cold was biting at all of their cheeks. Of course he politely declined but asked if from now on he could occasionally visit Amu and take her out to explore the surrounding area, during the day of course, so that she wasn't alone. Mrs. Hinamori agreed right away but her husband was still not so sure of the trustworthiness of the "older boy". Reluctantly he was forced to agree when his daughter commented that she would only sneak out of the apartment again if he refused.

So it was that at least four times a week Ikuto took Amu out on "dates" all around France. Occasionally this was done with the help of his father Aruto who performed the violin, as Amu had learned the instrument was called, all around café's and theaters in France.

Amu loved sitting and listening to Ikuto and his father play the violin almost always in perfect harmony. She had to admit that Ikuto was nowhere as good as his father but she had the nerve to point it out Aruto had smiled and patted both hers and his sons heads and replied,

"He may not be to my level now but there is no denying that he is a genius just lying in wait. He just needs to discover himself and his full potential. Ikuto had looked fondly at his dad and chuckled.

"I don't think I'm a genius but I am pretty darn good."

All three of them broke into laughter.

When the time came for the Hinamori family to finally take their leave of France Amu had experienced all kinds of things thanks to the Tsukiomi's, especially Ikuto. Though she never told anybody, this included her first kiss. At the airport Amu had kept looking around for the tall figure and deep blue hair but it was only when she was about to board that he appeared. She had to almost jump out of the way when he came barreling towards her with his violin case swinging wildly about his shoulders. He slid to a stop in front of her and gasped for breath.

"Ikuto?" she gasped and touched his shoulder while he bowed his head and gasped for breath, "Are you all right?"

He looked up at her and grinned in between gasps.

"I was afraid I wasn't going to make it. I couldn't let you leave without giving you this."

He held out his palm upon which was a sparkling crystal barrette in the shape of a sitting cat with sparkling amber eyes and a jeweled pink collar.

Amu caught her breath and gently took it from his palm to gaze at it more closely.

"Ikuto, it's so pretty." She breathed moving the barrette back and forth so that the sun caught on the many jewels and caused them to sparkle.

"I also came to give you a promise." Ikuto said smiling at her with his customary grin and mischievous eyes.

"What?" Amu asked looking at him directly.

His grin widened and he leaned down so that his face was so close to hers that his breath tickled her nose.

"We were only pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend for now. I know that and you know that, but…" he paused and leaned even closer so his nose touched hers, "I promise to make you fall in love with me someday."

Amu gaped like a goldfish and like when he had first said that he would be her boyfriend she could only gasp out "ah…uh".

Ikuto grinned and tilted his head up slightly to kiss her forehead and slip the barrette into her hair.

"I'll see you again someday Amu kitten." He laughed and then he was gone.

Amu finally managed to break her eyes away from retreating back when her father's voice rose louder than the murmur of the crowd.

"How…how dare he! My baby girl! Fall in love with him? Not on my watch!"

"Now papa." Mrs. Hinamori giggled clutching his arm in an attempt to calm him down before he woke the sleeping Ami, "It's only a childish game. A little fantasy of theirs. Just let them have their fun. Let Amu have her dreams while she's still young."

It had been six years since then but as Amu looked out the window of the airplane traveling to Tokyo the wisps of cloud that floated by reminded her of the snow on the night they had met and as she touched the cat barrette in her hair his words came back to her.

_I promise to make you fall in love with me someday._

And for probably the millionth time in six years she wondered if that day would come soon.

So I do have something to say.

While I understand that criticism is beneficial I also feel that too much of it can really be a confidence and self esteem killer that just makes a writer not want to continue writing for awhile. In this way it is hurtful and I would greatly appreciate it that if you find something wrong with the story that you only point out one flaw instead of a whole bunch. (I hope there aren't allot but it does tend to happen even to the best of writers, which I personally know allot of us are) Anyway thankyou for understanding and I hope that the first chapter was ok.

~Heather


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2

The house was very comfortable and her room especially was the perfect size and style, but the constant pestering of Ami, was something she couldn't stand anymore. The Hinamori's had only been living in Japan for a few weeks now and already they had fallen into their usual routines. Mr. and Mrs. Hinamori were out photographing and looking for good stories for articles, while Amu was expected to stay at home and watch Ami. Like always Amu had acted like she didn't mind and that she was all too happy to fall into the role as a substitute parent for her little sister. Now however, she was sick of her room, sick of the house, sick of being cooped up with her sister. It was time to at least change one thing about the usual routine.

Amu slammed her cup on the little table in her room startling Ami who had been chatting nonstop about her new friends at school.

"Sissy?" Ami asked in surprise, "Are you ok?"

Amu grumbled getting up. She crossed to her closet and pulled out a sweater because it was somewhat cold outside.

"Get your coat Ami." She commanded, "We're going for a ride."

Ami blinked her wide brown eyes a couple of times before Amu finally lost her temper.

"Now Ami!"

The little girl squeaked and raced out of the room to fetch her coat before her sister could become even more annoyed.

Amu sighed and looked at herself in the mirror on her closet for a few moments. She touched the cat barrette gently and instantly thoughts of him flooded into her mind and caused her to smile so that when Ami returned a few seconds later she found her sister in a much better mood.

"Ah Ami are we ready to go then?" Amu asked brightly.

Ami blinked a few times in shock before nodding. It really was amazing how quickly her sister's mood could change. She often wondered if she would become like that when she got older.

Amu was one of the lucky teenagers in her town to own a car and she loved to take advantage of the luxuries and freedom it brought her. While it was true that because she lived so close to her school and could simply walk there, she chose to drive at every opportunity she could. Today was no exception.

Ami had struck up her chatter about school and her classmates and teachers that were mean or nice, but with the windows rolled down and her favorite radio station playing Amu found that she could block out the majority of her sister's chatter.

Along with the breeze came aromas from a nearby market and laughter from children playing in a local park. Amu inhaled deeply and glanced briefly at the nearby sidewalk. It was at that moment that a certain figure caught her attention. She barely got a good glance but what she managed to catch caused her heart to race excitedly. Had it been him? It had certainly looked like him.

"Ikuto." She whispered trying desperately to concentrate on the road in front of her and failing.

"Sissy!" Ami yelled suddenly causing Amu to snap to attention and slam on the brakes just before hitting a small boy that had darted into the street. She sat in shock behind the wheel for a few moments before she managed to pull the car over to the side of the road and shut off the engine. She leaned her arms and head on the steering wheel breathing shakily.

"Sissy?" Ami asked in concern, "Are you ok?"

Amu shook away the frightened tears that had sprung to her eyes and gave her sister a wavering smile.

"Yeah I'm fine. Sorry about that Ami. Oh…"

She opened her door and looked for the little boy that had run after the marble. He was standing a few feet away just staring at her and the car.

"Hey!" Amu snapped, returning to her senses at his bland expression, "You should be more careful and look before you dart into the street."

The boy just gave her a blank stare before cocking his head,

"Aren't you the one that's supposed to be watching the road old hag?"

It was the words "old hag" that caused Amu to snap.

"What did you just call me you brat?"

"Old hag" the boy replied nonchalantly, "I'll call you it again if you don't apologize for almost running me over."

Amu was really getting pissed now.

"You should apologize to me for running into the road in the first place! Stupid Brat!"

By this time Ami had crawled over to the driver's side of the car and was peeking over her sister's shoulder.

"Ah Hikaru!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

The boy glanced at Ami with the same bland expression he had given to Amu but now a slight change had come over his lips. They twitched in what could have been mistaken for a smile. He didn't answer the little girl; instead he held out his palm which contained a sparkling crystal marble. It's color seemed to be a mixture between cerulean blue and sea green and the colors danced in the sunlight and reflected on Hikaru's face.

Ami's eyes lit up.

"It's so pretty!"

Hikaru seemed to snap out of his stupor at the sound of the little girl's voice.

He curled his fingers tightly around the marble and glared at both girls.

"It's mine. You can't have it!"

Amu blinked in surprise and Ami started trembling.

"I wasn't going to steel it." She whimpered, "I just thought it was pretty."

Hikaru continued to glare at them suspiciously for a few moments more before he finally sighed.

"This is stupid. You're obviously a lower life form than a normal human since you haven't had the courtesy to apologize yet. In that case I don't have time to waste on you. See ya old hag."

With that he ran off towards the nearby park.

"Lower life form?" Amu blazed, "He'd better hope I never see him again or I'll…"

"Hikaru is actually not a bad kid." Ami said quietly, "He's very shy and doesn't really know how to get along with other kids because his grandfather practically raised him like an adult."

Amu glanced behind at her sister. The younger girl had a look of understanding and sympathy on her face.

"It's really sad. He doesn't have any friends."

Amu sighed and glanced at the park but Hikaru was nowhere to be seen.

_I wonder what it's like to not have any friends at all. I at least can e-mail or call my old friends all over the world. What must it be like to be alone?_

These questions were still spinning around in her head as she sat on a bench in the park and watched Ami playing with some of the kids.

She smiled and wondered at the way that Ami seemed to be able to make friends so easily.

_Was I ever that way when I was younger?_

More thoughts like this were still in her head as she drifted off to sleep on the bench.

Amu had never been a heavy sleeper and it was because of this that Ami didn't have to shake her long to cause her to snap awake.

Instantly she became aware of the three presences around them. Three young men, probably in their early twenties were arranged in a triangle formation around the bench she had been lying on. Ami was trembling and clutching to her in pure terror and this caused Amu to swallow her own fear and face the situation head on.

"What do you want?" she asked the men curtly.

"Oh you are quite forward aren't you." The man on her left laughed, "We just wanted to have a pleasant evening with you, didn't we boys?"

Ami whimpered and buried her face in her sister's shoulder.

"Sorry but I don't want to spend the evening with you." Amu replied calmly and started to get up so she could have a better vantage point if an opportunity to run should present itself. She pulled Ami up with her and clutched the young girl's wrist in a death grip.

"Now if you'd please move aside my sister and I should be getting home." She said coolly to the man that blocked her path.

He just grinned.

"Sorry sweety no can do. See we can't allow you to refuse our invitation. However we will let the little girl go if you promise not to be difficult."

Amu gritted her teeth. This was getting her nowhere and it was already getting darker. If Ami was able to run now how long would it take for her to get help? More importantly, would she even have enough sense to get help, or would her terror just cause her to run home like a frightened rabbit.

Unfortunately for Amu the decision was made for her when the man to her right grabbed her around the neck and the one to her left grabbed her wrist. Instantly she let go of Ami's hand.

"Run Ami!" she shouted at the frightened girl.

For a second it seemed that Ami was so frozen with terror that she couldn't move her legs an inch. But in less than a second she had made a blind dash for the sidewalk and was now long gone from Amu's sights.

"Crap" the man holding Amu's wrist grumbled, "She'll get help soon. Should we go after her?"

The man still standing before Amu shook his head.

"Nah I promised I would let her go if our pretty friend here promises to be good." He grinned and touched her hair gently till his hands brushed over the barrette, then his grin dropped to a frown and before Amu knew it her hair was down in a tumble around her shoulders. The man held the barrette between his fingers for a moment before he scoffed.

"This is no good. I thought it might be worth some money but it's just a useless piece of cheep jewelry."

With a flick of his wrist the barrette was flying across the playground and sidewalk into the street. Amu would never know how she managed to break free of the two men holding her but in a moment she was racing after the barrette and leaping through the air over the street to catch it in her palm.

"What the hell?" one of the men shouted before Amu twisted in the air in an attempt to land on her palms. But she was already too close to the ground and instead her head struck the asphalt half on the right side. The last thing she managed to hold onto before she lost complete consciousness was the sound of hurried footsteps, a mess of dark blue hair, and a voice that she seemed to recognize, calling her name.

"AMU!"


	3. Chapter 3

*Ch.3*

Ikuto felt utterly helpless as he sat in the hospital waiting room. Ami was sitting next to him with her hands folded in her lap and tears still streaming down her cheeks. They had been sitting like that for a good two hours while Amu's parents waited outside of the emergency room desperate for any news of their older daughter.

"Ikuto ni san" Ami whispered.

"What is it Ami?'

The young girl reached out and clutched his hand,

"Big sister. She'll be ok right?"

Ikuto looked down into the small girls face her eyes containing so much hopeless pleading that it was all he could do to choke back his own tears and smile.

"Yeah I'm sure she'll be. Don't worry about it."

Ami blinked trying to smile as well but only half succeeding.

"Ni san"

"Hmmm…"

"Is it ok if I go to sleep for a bit?" Ami yawned rubbing the tears from her eyes.

"Mm. You need your rest."

Ami sighed the sound coming out as half a sob as she lay down on his lap. In an instant her eyes had closed and her breathing had grown softer and heavier.

Ikuto couldn't stop himself from smiling as he stroked her hair gently. Ami reminded him so much of how Utau had been when they were children. And suddenly it dawned on him, the thing that had been nagging at the back of his mind despite all the fear involved with Amu. He had been on his way to dinner with Utau when Ami had found him.

_She's probably angry and disappointed. Maybe even worried_

He sighed and ran a hand through his already untidy hair that had grown even more unruly from his race to find Amu. His hand dropped to the side again as he repeated her name in his head again.

_Amu_

And at last the pain he had been holding back came out all at once. He put his head in his hands and sobbed. The stupid girl hadn't changed at all. She was still getting herself in trouble, trouble that this time he had been too slow to save her from.

His tears fell faster, dripping onto Ami who groaned and rubbed her face subconsciously in her sleep. Ikuto tried to keep himself from completely breaking down but every time he closed his eyes to try and collect himself she always flashed across his vision. Her dancing eyes and sarcastic smile plagued his thoughts and caused him to clench his fists in despair and anger. The men had ran from the scene as soon as he had arrived and he knew that had it not been for Amu's condition he would have taken off after them instantly. He hated them with a passion that he had only ever felt for his step father. He had promised himself that if he ever saw them again he would not hold back.

Ami stirred in her sleep breaking him from his enraged thoughts and he glanced down at her again and sighed. At the present all he could do was wait. Wait and hope.

He hadn't realized that he had drifted off to sleep himself until someone gently shook his shoulder.

"Ikuto…you should go home. The doctors said that Amu's going to be fine but that no one can see her yet. There's no point in you staying here overnight."

He opened his eyes and looked at Amu's mother. Mrs. Hinamori had tear stained cheeks and her eyes were awefully red but she was sporting a genuinely relieved smile.

Ikuto blinked a couple of times before sighing and getting up.

"Will I be able to come visit her tomorrow?"

Mrs. Hinamori bit her lip nervously, so much the same way that her daughter did when she was uncertain about something, and then sighed.

"I don't know honestly. We'll let you know. Er…well you'd need to give us your number first."

Ikuto nodded and told her the number slowly as she tapped it into her cell phone.

"Thankyou dear. We'll let you know tomorrow what the doctors say."

Ikuto nodded again sleepily and started heading for the door.

"Thankyou again Ikuto san for finding her and bringing her here." Mrs. Hinamori said quietly to his retreating form.

He simply raised a hand in acknowledgement that he had heard and walked out into the cold night.

There was a buzzing in his pocket and he opened his phone to reveal Utau's name flashing on the screen. Grudgingly he pressed the answer button and held the phone up to his ear.

"Hello." His voice was tired and choked from having cried so much.

"Where the hell are you?" Utau's voice cut through his skull like a bullet of sound.

"Outside the hospital." He answered slowly.

"You…what?" her voice was suddenly terrified, _Just great_

"I'm fine I'll explain better when I get home."

Utau's voice had changed when she replied,

"Yeah ok. Just try and hurry before mom wakes up and starts worrying again."

Ikuto scoffed at that.

"Yeah like she would worry about me. Her wayward son."

"You would be surprised." His sister answered before hanging up.

Ikuto looked at the end call message flashing on his screen as he lowered the phone again. He clicked the phone closed and stuffed his hands in his pockets once more turning to look at the hospital building one last time before heading off in the direction of his mother's house.


End file.
